UEFA Festival comes to Stratford

West Ham United will be well represented when the UEFA Champions Festival heads towards the Olympic Stadium this week to coincide with Saturday's Champions League final.

Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund will be battling it out to be crowned Europe's finest at Wembley Stadium on 25 May, but UEFA is bringing all the excitement firmly into the Hammers heartland with a special four-day extravaganza in the stunning shadow of the Olympic Stadium. Visitors will also get the chance of a fantastic view of the Hammers' new home from 2016.

From Thursday 23 May to Sunday 26 May, UEFA will be taking over the International Quarter, Stratford with a host of free football-themed activities and things for the whole family to enjoy. The Football Association is arranging a grassroots programme, coinciding with its 150th anniversary and marking its role as host federation. The FA is also inviting a number of ambassadors along.

Hammers supporter Mark Hunter MBE will be among them, with the gold medal-winning rower due to be at the Festival on the Sunday afternoon. Other great names will be in attendance including Final ambassadors Faye White and Steve McManaman, while the Ultimate Champions match on Saturday promises to be a thriller with the likes of Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane will take part.

Hammers fans will also potentially be able to have their photos taken with the UEFA Champions League trophies - the women's final is on Thursday 23 May at Stamford Bridge - as well as visit the official UEFA Champions League museum to experience all the memories of past tournaments.

Sir Trevor Brooking, FA Director of Football Development, said: "It is great that we at The FA are able to support the UEFA Champions Festival in a part of London that is very close to my heart. I am particularly proud that we will be putting on a showcase of our grassroots work as this has been a major focus of our 150th anniversary celebrations this year.

"We invest £100m back into the game each year and are using FA150 to shine a light on the seven million players, 400,000 volunteers, 300,000 coaches and 27,000 referees we have involved in football.

"The UEFA Champions Festival is another opportunity to talk about this and also to share UEFA's own strong commitment to the grassroots. I am especially pleased that the women's game, futsal and disability teams will all take centre stage over the four days."

Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: "We are delighted that the UEFA Champions Festival is returning to London and especially that it will take place on the International Quarter close to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the scene of our biggest sporting moment. It will provide a fantastic week-long family event and will revive the spirit of community and celebration that made last year's Olympic Games so special."